Railway tie plate



Feb. 21, 1939.

F. A. PRESTON RAILWAY TIE PLATE Filed June 10, 1955 lnxfehrar Fred /2'0; Bay/Z32 Patented Feb. 21, 1939 f UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAILWAY TIE PLATE poration of Delaware Application June 10, 1935, Serial No. 25,775

'7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in a combination structure including a tie plate formed with one or more abutments for resisting lateral movement of a railroad rail and rail retaining means associated with the abutments for retaining the rail on the plate, preferably, though not necessarily, with capacity for vertical movement of the rail base relative to the plate.

The general object of the invention is to provide an improved combination structure of the above character in which the rail base abutment on the tie plate member is grooved, during the rolling of the plate, to provide the top portion of said abutment with a pair of spaced ribs which extend the full length of the abutment; one of said ribs being turned outwardly so as to provide the abutment with substantially a dovetail configuration in cross section adapted to receive, in interlocking engagement, a rail retaining clip member. The invention contemplates broadly, in this connection the provision of suitable construction and arrangements whereby the clip member will be firmly secured in its operative position without requiring engagement between the clip and the rail base and whereby the clip may be applied by movement either lengthwise or transversely of the said abutment.

Another object is to form on a tie plate, a rail base abutment of the above character in which the said ribs diverge from each other toward the middle of the plate, whereby movement of the rail retaining clip longitudinally of the abutment toward the middle of the plate effects a firm wedging engagement of the clip on the said abutment.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description of the specific constructions of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. l is a plan view of tie plate constructed in accordance with this invention together with a pair of rail retaining clips applied thereon; and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, lEl designates the base portion of a railroad rail, H a portion of a railroad cross tie, and I2 designates one approved form of a tie plate constructed in accordance with this invention. The tie plate I2 is preferably secured rigidly to the cross tie it by means of suitable attaching devices, for ex ample lag screws 13-43. If desired additional fastening devices may be inserted through the apertures I l-44 of the tie plate. The tie plate is formed at opposite sides of the rail seat IS with upstanding flanges lS-i| which, preferably, extend across the plate from edge to edge thereof. The inner faces [B -41 of said flanges are par allel to the longitudinal edges of the rail base and provide lateral abutments for maintaining 5 the rail in proper position on the tie plate. The rail base abutments Iii-ll increase in thickness toward the middle of the plate, as shown best in Fig. l of the drawing, and are, preferably, somewhat higher than the vertical edge surfaces of 10 the rail base. The top portions of the rail base abutments are formed with grooves l8-l8 of uniform width which extend the full length of the abutments and provide spaced ribs Zia-2!. The inner rib 2d of each abutment is parallel to the inner face thereof, but the outer rib iii, by reason of the unequal displacement of metal in forming the adjacent groove, assumes a tapered configuration. With this construction the outer surface of the rib 2! diverges from the inner rib and 20 thereby forms a wedge surface which increases in thickness toward the middle of the plate. The rib 2| is also turned outwardly so as to provide the abutment with a substantially dovetail configuration in cross section.

The rail base is retained on the plate by means of clip members 2222 which are recessed to conform substantially to the cross sectional configuration of the rail base abutments. The central rib portion 23 of the clip extends movably into the groove portion of the rail abutment and the downturned jaws 26-45 of the clipembrace and interlock with the ribs 2l!--2| of the abutment. The inner surface of jaw 25 is preferably tapered to conform generally to the tapered configuration of the rib 2!. The inner jaw 24 may be formed of any suitable length to provide the desired clearance between the jaw and thetop surface of the rail base H].

The retaining clips are applied to their operative positions by driving them longitudinally of the rail abutments until firm wedging engagement is obtained. The interfitting rib and recess construction of the rail abutments and cl p members provide gripping surfaces of relatively large area which by their engagement with each other resist retrograde movement of the clips on the abutment members.

While the invention has been illustrated in connection with a tie plate formed with like abutments at opposite sides of a rail base it will be obvious that one of said abutments may be made of different form and that the combination structure may be otherwise modified within the scope 55 ing clip member of the claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A tie plate formed on its top surface with a rail base abutment member the top portion of which is formed with ribs disposed in vertically diverging relation to each other, and having outer surfaces which diverge from each other longitudinally of the abutment member, and a clip member movable relative to said abutment member into embracing clamping engagement with said diverging ribs and having a portion overlying an edge of the rail base.

2. A tie plate provided with a rail seat and at one side of the seat with an upstanding rail base abutment the top of which is grooved to provide spaced ribs which diverge from each other longitudinally of the abutment, and'a rail retaining clip member provided with a portion extending into said groove and with jaws embracing said ribs and movable into tight interlocking engagement therewith.

3. A tie plate provided with a rail seat and at one side of the seat with an upstanding rail base abutment extending across the plate and increasing in thickness toward the middle of the plate; the top of the abutment being grooved to provide spaced ribs which diverge from each other toward the middle of the plate; and a rail retainprovided with jaws for embracing said ribs and adapted to be driven longitudinally of said abutment into wedging engagement with said ribs.

4. A tie plate provided with a rail seat and at ;oneside of the seat with an upstanding rail base abutment extending across the plate and increasing in thickness toward the middle of the plate, the top of the abutment being grooved to provide spaced ribs which diverge from each other toward the middle of the plate, and a rail retaining clip member recessed to conform substantially to the cross sectional contour of the upper portion of said abutment and adapted to be driven longitudinally thereof into wedging engagement with said ribs.

5. A tie plate provided with a rail seat and at one side of the seat with an upstanding rail base abutment extending across the plate and increasing in thickness toward the middle of the plate, the top of the abutment being grooved to provide a rib parallel with the inner face of the abutment and an outturned rib substantially parallel with the outer face of the abutment, and a rail retaining clip member recessed to conform substantially to the cross sectional contour of said groove and ribs and adapted to be driven lengthwise of the abutment into wedging engagement therewith.

6. A tie plate provided with a rail seat and with upstanding abutments extending across the plate at opposite sides of said seat, the top portion of each abutment being grooved to provide spaced ribs which diverge from each other toward the middle of the plate, and rail retaining clip members provided with jaws for embracing said ribs and adapted to be driven longitudinally of said abutments into wedging engagement therewith.

'7. A tie plate provided with a rail seat and with upstanding rail base abutments extending across the base at opposite sides of said rail seat and increasing in thickness toward the center of the plate, there being a groove in the top of each abutment to provide it with a rib parallel with the inner face of the abutment and with an outturned rib substantially parallel with the outer face of the abutment, and a rail retaining clip member having surfaces for wedging interlocking engagement with said ribs and adapted to be riven longitudinally of the abutment into firm gripping engagement therewith.

FREDERICK A. PRESTON. 

